Newsroom

Capital funding released for SIUC improvements

9/7/2018

Campus to see $1.25 million for building repairs

Senator Paul Schimpf (R-Waterloo) is pleased to share Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC) will see $1,250,000 in capital funding for campus improvements and repairs as part of the Fiscal Year 2019 capital budget approved by lawmakers in late May. The capital program was appropriated as part of the current FY 2019 state budget.

“With this announcement, SIUC will be able to move forward with needed improvements,” said Sen. Schimpf. “This capital funding ensures that the university will be able to make these necessary repairs to infrastructure and highlights why passage of a state budget was of critical importance to Illinois.”

The funds will go toward roof repairs or replacements on three academic buildings and an auditorium, including the following:

Neckers Hall, primarily used for the sciences

Engineering building, B wing

Pulliam Hall, used for multiple classrooms and other instructional facilities

Shryock Auditorium, a 1,200 seat facility used for musical performances

Each of the four facilities have experienced roof issues that have caused water penetration into architectural, mechanical, and electrical spaces that is leading to significant building integrity issues if not addressed in the immediate future. Safety issues will occur if water causes electrical panels to fail.

Estimates for the work have been prepared, and the project can commence quickly when funding is made available. In order to help mitigate damage, the roofs have been patched and short-term drains have been used within offices and classrooms to channel water into buckets in order to prevent additional damage. They suspect with cold weather approaching the actual construction would probably be in spring. It is possible they could separate the projects and get one knocked out this fall.

“We’re investing more in higher education so that we can better prepare our students for the 21st century economy,” said Gov. Bruce Rauner. “The capital investment we’re making today in the facilities at Southern Illinois University Carbondale means much-needed campus renovations can begin while we work to attract in-state students through enhanced scholarship programs like AIM High and MAP.”

Having been approved, the comptroller now has authority to release the funding to SIUC to begin construction once costs begin to be incurred.

“I’m very grateful the Capital Development Board has recognized the importance and urgency in regard to the roof repairs being made at SIUC,” said Rep. Terri Bryant. “We’re all aware there is a lot of deferred maintenance that must be performed on the Carbondale campus. The release of these funds marks an important step in what will be a lengthy and necessary process to bring the campus up-to-date in a number of ways.”

The FY 19 capital initiatives appropriated in the final budget included nearly $1 billion to address needs of higher education facilities, including the funding necessary to complete ongoing construction and repair projects, as well as financing to begin new maintenance and infrastructure improvement projects.

###

About Senate District 58

The 58th Senate District includes all or parts of Jackson, Jefferson, Perry, Randolph, Monroe, St. Clair, Washington, and Union Counties and represents more than 220,000 Illinois citizens. Discover more at senatorschimpf.com and find him on Facebook.